My little magic lily is blooming. How it has survived deer and voles is beyond me! I went to Gail's garden center yesterday and a very knowledgeable gal told me that a complete bulb can grow from the tiniest piece that an animal has eaten and then deposited. So either it was in mulch from the town that I got two years ago or a deer has tried to repay me for all it has been eating in my yard. Either way, I'm surely enjoying it, and it's my favorite color of flower to boot!
I don't know about you, but I haven't had many butterflies this year at all. I've seen a few Yellow Swallowtails and Black Swallowtails, but I haven't seen the first Monarch! My butterfly bushes are blooming, but not in abundance. I've got plenty of annual salvia, which they usually flock to. Only one of my lantana has survived and it's in an area I don't look at very often. I hope this isn't a sign that the butterflies are in distress.
How about you - have you noticed a decrease in butterflies this year?
Because I ran my weekly errands yesterday and then chose to stay indoors to vacuum up pet hair (it was actually a drizzly day), I have no choice but to spend today outdoors mowing weeds and cleaning the barn.
Here are a few pictures of the chickens and goat family trying to stay out of the direct sun. That is a huge forsythia bush the chickens like to rest under. The branches used to come out much further from the fence but the little goat family has eaten some of it.
It's not even noon and the poor little things are already panting :(
I haven't taken pictures of the goat family for a couple of weeks. Fizz and Bindi are growing so fast. Fizz is almost as tall as Lola already.
Bindi is still small and such a sweet little girl goat. Don't tell the others, but she and Lola are my faves. This is Bindi next to her mama, Lily.
Lola - the most curious little goat. She follows me everywhere when I let them out.
Lily was quite curious about what I was holding and was trying to sniff what was in my hand. They pretty much expect treats of some sort when I go out to talk with them. Sorry, Lily.
The little goat family wasn't very happy when I closed the gate. They get quite tired of the pasture. There is so much more to eat on the outside. Later, guys - I'll let you out this evening when I can watch so you don't get into trouble!
